The Iris Garden Country Manor is a Bed and Breakfast located a stone's throw from the Butchart Garden on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
While the Iris Garden's garden is no match for the Butchart, it is wonderful in its own right. One surprise there was a Eucalyptus tree. It was a reminder of the four months Kay and I spent in Australia. That tree and the Norfolk Island Pine are indoor trees where we live. My pine has been nurtured indoors for more than 15 years and is still only six feet tall. A far cry from the majestic ones at Manley Beach. Those were transplanted from Norfolk Island and have found a happy home, towering over the edge of the beach.
The height of the iris season was past when Kay and I stayed at the Iris Garden but there were numerous other plantings in bloom.
Luckily for the hosts, Dave and Sharon Layzell, the doe and its two fawns that traversed their property each morning and evening fed elsewhere. Perhaps the quite high fence surrounding their garden was the reason. Someday I might be forced to do likewise at home.
Wandering through the Iris Garden's garden after a sumptuous breakfast was a pleasant interlude before setting out for more vacation sightseeing. It is a great pleasure to enjoy a garden when one just has to wander the paths admiringly without stopping frequently to pull a weed or deadhead a flower. In my own garden I too often forget what my intended task was after first noticing something else that needed attention. The Iris Garden's garden is a joy to behold even following a day at the Butchart.Another stone's throw in the opposite direction from the Butchart Garden was Victoria. There, whale watching cruises for Orcas (we saw many close up) are added to such rare pleasures, at least for us, as an indulgent afternoon tea. That is a habit it would be easy to fall into. The Crystal Garden in Victoria itself is another highlight.
A stay at the Iris Garden Country Manor may take in many nearby pleasures in addition to their own garden.
I do not have a high fence surrounding my garden. My deer ate the tops off the Jerusalem artichokes to prevent flowering, the tomato plants to guard against fruit (although they relish the ripe tomatoes that they miss as flowers and that do
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